


Two Minutes or Two Days

by ChasingVulpixels



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), The Last of Us
Genre: Completed, Crossover, F/F, Implied/Referenced Suicide, not even sorry, will probably contain some low-key rellie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-05-20 04:27:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5991682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChasingVulpixels/pseuds/ChasingVulpixels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max seemed to have noticed the look on her face, because she turned around, gazing up at Chloe with a sweet smile.<br/>  “Now come on,” She said innocently, “When have we ever gotten into trouble?”</p><p>A TLOU/LiS crossover. Will follow (mostly) the events of the DLC, Left Behind.<br/>Inspired by 'The Last Life of Us is Strange' by Nothing_You_Can_Prove.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. On Our Way

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Last Life of Us is Strange (being edited)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5273312) by [Nothing_You_Can_Prove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nothing_You_Can_Prove/pseuds/Nothing_You_Can_Prove). 



The rain hammered furiously on the windowpane, but it did nothing to wake Chloe as she slept, spread out on the unmade bed. Her feet hung slightly off of the edge, but she didn’t mind. There was a familiarity in it, a comfort that she relished as she let her legs fall limply into the space, and instead of tucking her feet back up— pulling them out of the clutches of the monsters that lurked in the shadows like she used to, like most people would do— she let them dangle. She wasn’t afraid of the monster under the bed anymore, simply because now, in this new world, this new reality, there was much more to be afraid of than the shadows that lurked in dark corners. She lay curled on her side, her fingertips brushing the edge of the mattress, her arms reaching across the empty space and her hands grasping for something that wasn’t there.  
  
  Most of the people had left Arcadia Bay. Those that hadn’t had gone the safest place they could find— which coincidentally, was run by her stepfather and long-time worst enemy. He’d always been a paranoid, cantankerous old bastard in her eyes, but at least it had finally come in handy.    
  
When the world went to shit, they were ready- or at least, he was. The moment there was news of an unstoppable, incurable virus spreading across the planet like wildfire, he began preparing, barricading, building. The neighbours that had called him crazy only days before were suddenly begging for help, banging on their front door with screams that even now, three years later, Chloe found hard to forget.  
  
  Over those three years, over those countless deaths, the nights spent hungry, the days spent afraid and certain that this was it, this was the end, she’d survived. Some might’ve put that down to luck; Chloe liked to put it down to her sheer will to continue living- that, and Max. Her Max. Her best friend, her partner in crime, the only person left that she felt like she could trust.  
  
  But now Max was gone, and Chloe was coming dangerously close to losing that determination that she used to have such a strong hold on.  
  
  It was rare a night went by when Chloe didn’t dream about Max, and rare a day when she didn’t cross Chloe’s mind. Sure, Chloe might have been mad— furious, even— but what she wanted more than anything was just for Max to be alive. The thought that Max was out there somewhere, breathing and living kept her going, but at the same time, the thought of her out there breathing and living _without Chloe_ made her want to curl up and cry.  
  
  Chloe remained half-asleep, mumbling incoherently into her pillow as the wooden frame of the window groaned, pulled wide open. She didn’t stir at the gentle pat of sneakers on her wooden floor, nor did she move when the mattress sunk slightly with the light weight of a person. Only when the draft from her open window reached her did she move, curling in on herself, clutching the blanket closer to her body, the sheets grasped tightly in her closed fist. A small frown appeared on her otherwise peaceful features.  
  
  Max sat beside her as she slept, almost feeling guilty at the thought of waking her. She watched for a moment as Chloe’s chest rose and fell evenly with each breath, regret written all over her face. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and tuck away the small strand of hair that had fallen into Chloe’s face as she fidgeted in her sleep. But she didn’t. Max kept her right hand firmly at her side until Chloe turned her back, and the moment was lost.  Although it was dark, the lighter she clutched in her other hand cast a gentle orange glow across the room. A small puddle of light spilled onto Chloe’s face, illuminating her features. The shadows seemed to tremble with Max’s hand, the lighter growing increasingly damp with sweat in her palm. She flicked the top with her thumb, and the flame vanished, trapped under the metal lid and snuffed out.     
  
Even in the darkness, she could feel the engraving on the side. MC + CP it read. She didn’t need to see it to map it out in her mind, each letter so familiar to her thumb as she traced over them that they may as well have been etched onto her skin. She grazed her thumb over the scratches in an attempt to calm herself, as she always did when she was scared, before tucking the lighter back into her jeans pocket and reaching out a gentle hand.    
  
“Chloe.” She said softly, trying not to scare her. Chloe groaned slightly, pressing her face deeper into the pillow and batting in he general direction of her hand. Max tried again, shaking Chloe’s shoulder this time in an attempt to elicit some kind of reaction from her friend. Chloe rolled over, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes, and began to mumble.  
 “Mom, can you please leave me alone for fiv- Max?” Her face, though still lined with the imprints left by her pillow, was suddenly alert. There was a beat of silence. The air was weighted, filled with unanswered questions that Chloe felt hanging over her head as she stared in shock.  
“What the fuck?”  
 “Miss me?” Max said sheepishly. Chloe frowned.  
 “Did I fucking _miss_   _you_ , Max? What kind of question is that?” She said, sitting up with a scowl.  
 “Look, I get that you’re mad-“  
 “ _You_ _think_ _so?_ ”  
 “-but just… hear me out, okay?” Max asked, not phased by Chloe’s interruption. Chloe sighed, and crossed her arms impatiently, her stare confrontational, challenging. She watched as Max reached under the collar of her shirt, and pulled out a silver dog tag, the metal shining through the gaps in her fingers in the dim moonlight.  
  
  Chloe’s eyes grew wide in understanding, lifting her hand to her mouth in a moment of shock before the realisation hit her. She pushed herself out of bed, and cautiously peeked her head around the door to her bedroom.  
 “What the _fuck_ , Max?” She said, turning back to her friend and closing the door with a soft click. Chloe muttered to herself, repeating the phrase as if it would make things easier to understand.  
 “Chloe, what are you doing?” Max said, tucking the small pendant back under her shirt.  
 “Making sure I don’t get caught with a _firefly_ _in_ _my_ _room_.” She muttered.  
 “Relax,” Max replied, “David’s not even home. We’re safe.”  
 “For now.” Chloe added, padding back over to Max and reaching out her hand. Max obediently removed the pendant from around her neck and pressed it into Chloe’s palm, pulling her hand back immediately and trying to ignore the way her heart had started to stutter at the brush of Chloe’s fingertips.  
  
  Max walked over to the wall behind the bed, studying it while Chloe examined her tag. She let her hand brush over the letters and pictures and posters that were stuck up, tracing the letters of Chloe’s graffiti with her index finger, until something caught her eye. It was a polaroid, worn with age and slightly faded from the sunlight that fell on it during the day but Max could still distinctly make out the faces within the frame.     
  
Max remembered taking the picture, the morning after they had broken into Blackwell pool together. On the bottom, written in Chloe’s signature scrawly handwriting, it read ‘Blackwell ninjas strike again!!!’. Her heart twisted in her chest as she was reminded of how different things were, how much simpler everything was. _Hard_ _to_ _believe_ _that_ _was_ _only three years ago_. she thought to herself, turning back to Chloe.  
  
  “You still have it up.” she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.  
  
  She watched as Chloe turned the pendant over in her hand, the metal scratched and worn. Her thumb traced over the name imprinted into the tag, and the number that came with it.  
  
   _Max_ _Caulfield_ , it read, _0129_.  
  
  Chloe shook her head, a mixture of disbelief and amazement on her face as she placed the pendant back around Max’s neck, her hands lingering for a second- until she remembered that she was mad. Chloe quickly pulled her hands back and shoved them into the pockets of her shorts.    
  
“I’m still mad. I haven’t seen you in- in I don’t even know how long-”  
 “Forty-five days. Well, forty six, technically.” Max said, realising a little too late that knowing the exact number of days might have been a little strange. Chloe didn’t seem to notice that she had been counting, though, because she continued speaking. “All this time… I thought you were dead.” Chloe said quietly, her voice quavering only slightly before she steadied herself with a breath.  
 “I know, Chloe. I’m sorry. I came back to- um- to apologise,” Max said, meeting Chloe’s scrutinising stare, “and if you’ll let me, I have something I want to show you.”  
 “Now?” Chloe asked incredulously, “It’s three a.m. and I have military drills in the morning.” Chloe said, shuddering at the thought of being out in the mud and rain as David yelled orders from the porch.  
 “So?” Max said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, confidence returning even if only for a split-second. There was a moment of silence as Chloe deliberated.  
 “Fine.” She relented, pulling on her jeans. Max broke into a grin. _I’m_ _so_ _dumb_. Chloe thought to herself as she grabbed her beanie from the nightstand and slipped out of her window behind Max. _So_ , _so_ _dumb_.     
  
Max seemed to have noticed the look on her face, because she turned around, gazing up at Chloe with a sweet smile.     
  
“Now come on,” She said innocently, “When have we ever gotten into trouble?”


	2. tomorrow

Chloe barely felt the rooftops beneath her feet as she and Max hopped from one to the other with such speed that it felt like they were flying. She was panting, her breaths coming out in short huffs as she slowed before coming to a halt at the edge of the Blackwell Academy roof. Clutching at a stitch in her side, Chloe tried to regain control of her lungs.  
“Jeez Max, when did you get so fast?” She wheezed, pulling her beanie off to rake her fingers through her hair.  
“When did you get so out of shape?” Max quipped with a grin, but she was visibly out of breath. Chloe responded with a gentle shove.  
“Are we there yet?” She asked, unable to stop her impatience from seeping into her words.  
“Yes, Chloe. We’re here, this is it. Isn’t the crumbling brickwork stunning? And do tell me, what do you think of theexquisitely placed cobwebs?” Max said, every word dripping with sarcasm.  
“Oh _ha ha.”_ Chloe rolled her eyes. “How much further? I don’t think I can handle much more of this parkour shit.”  
“Like… ten minutes.” Max replied, moving to check her watch but then realising that it was missing, and had been for over three months. “Probably.” She added, smiling sheepishly at Chloe. She did feel slightly guilty for keeping her out so late when she had to be up at the crack of dawn, but the fact that the sun wasn’t visible yet eased her conscience slightly. Chloe nodded, tugging her beanie back on with conviction.  
“Well? We don’t have all night, Caulfield.” She said, nudging Max with her shoulder.  
“I know, Chlo. You’re a little eager beaver aren’t you?”  
“How dare you? I’m a shark. You’re the beaver.” Chloe said, in mock offence.  
“How dare _you?”_ Max responded, raising her eyebrows. “I’m an _otter._ ” She said, matter-of-factly, nose in the air.  
“Sharks eat otters.” Chloe grinned wolfishly as she said this, attacking Max with her hands, pinching at her sides.  
“ _Shut up.”_ Max muttered, blushing as she shoved Chloe’s hands away. “Get a move on, Pricey.” Chloe broke into a light jog at her words, but not without scowling over her shoulder.  
  
When they arrived, the moon hung low in the sky. Max suspected it wouldn’t be long before the sun began to peek over the horizon. _It’s fine,_ she thought to herself, tucking some stray hairs behind her ears, _we’ve got time._  
“You alright, Max?” Chloe asked, noticing the concern that flashed across Max’s features.  
“Huh? Oh, yeah.” She shook her head, clearing her thoughts for a moment, before speaking again. “Let’s hurry, it’s through here.” They were on ground level now, meaning that they had to be more cautious, and far quieter. Currently, they stood in the shadow of a large, brick building that appeared to be mostly abandoned, with ivy snaking up the sides and branches bursting through the broken glass windows like limbs. The building, although decrepit, somehow looked more beautiful than it ever had before. Maybe it was the vibrancy of the green against the orange bricks, or the freshness of the town once nature had reclaimed it. If the world as she knew it wasn’t in ruins, Chloe might’ve thought it was pretty.  
  
Max pulled aside a large chunk of branches to reveal a small tunnel. Chloe didn’t think twice before ducking into the darkness on her hands and knees, Max following suit. With a swish, the branches snapped back into place, and whatever light that was filtering inside from the moon was extinguished. Max and Chloe were left in inky blackness, and although Chloe should have felt some sort of fear or panic at what the heavy shadows could hide, she only felt a still, almost unnatural calm settle over her. She and Max were mere centimetres apart, their noses almost touching as Max fumbled in her pocket for her lighter. The tunnel was barely tall enough to kneel in, and definitely not wide enough for two. Chloe’s heart was pounding in her chest, her pulse skyrocketing as she realised that she could kiss Max had she wanted to. And _God_ , did she want to. With a hard swallow, she bit back her urges as a tiny flame burst from Max’s hand. Weak, but illuminating the tunnel in flickering orange light all the same. Chloe took a deep, steadying breath, and just like that, the moment of calm escaped them.  
  
On the other side of the tunnel, a large warehouse awaited. It was empty, aside from the damp, moth-eaten bedding that had been left to rot on the floor for at least three months, and some scattered belongings. Chloe didn’t like to think about the previous inhabitants. They were dead, and that was enough.  
“Is this it?” Chloe spoke for the first time since the tunnel. Max seemed almost startled by her voice, the sound disrupting the uneasy quiet that had settled over the place, and between them.  
“No. We’re almost there now.” Max muttered, unable to meet Chloe’s gaze. She looked at her shoes instead, making patterns in the dust with her feet.  
“Max?” Chloe said, a strange vulnerability in her voice as she spoke. Max, who had realised she was subconsciously drawing a heart on the floor, smudged it out with her feet before looking up. She was slightly alarmed by Chloe’s tone. It sounded like someone who was on the verge of tears.  
“Yeah?” Max answered, stepping closer to Chloe without thinking. Chloe opened her mouth as if to speak, and then closed it. She took a step backwards and looked at the ground, shoving her hands into her pockets.  
“No, never mind. It doesn’t matter.” She murmured, so quietly that it was almost inaudible. Max was slightly hurt by the distance she put between them, both physically and emotionally, but she didn’t let it show. She had gotten pretty good at hiding her true feelings over the years, as had Chloe, making this plan of hers all the more difficult to orchestrate.  
“Okay. Let’s go then.” She said, perkily. Her change in moods was so fast, it was unnerving. Her ability to snap between emotions like she was flicking a switch both baffled Chloe and slightly irritated her.  
“Yeah.” Chloe replied, remaining quiet. She had removed her hands for her pockets, at least. “Lead the way, Max.”  
  
“Welcome to my lair, faithful sidekick.” Max said dramatically upon arrival, flinging the double doors open with flair. Chloe grinned, nudging her in the side with her elbow.  
“You’re the… whoa.” Chloe said. She had been looking at Max as she spoke, not paying attention to the room before her until she had turned her head. Max beamed triumphantly. This was exactly the reaction she had hoped for, and couldn’t help feeling a little pride.  
  
They were in an arcade, the exact one that she and Max had frequented as kids. This, however, wasn’t the amazing part. Every single machine was lit up, beeping and singing robotically, nostalgically. Some were broken, of course, static buzzing across the screen like a tiny blizzard, but somehow, Chloe was still amazed.  
“No _fucking way._ ” She said, excitement bubbling in her chest. Max smiled bashfully, blushing slightly.  
“Yeah. My friend Warren fixed it up for us.” Max said, tucking some hair behind her ear.  
“You did all of this for me?” Chloe asked, no longer looking at her surroundings in awe, but at Max.  
“Yeah, well I just— I wanted to say sorry. For everything. And I know I—“  
“Don’t.” Chloe cut her off, suddenly cold. “Don’t ruin this. I don’t want to hear it, Max.”she muttered, looking away. Max tried her best to stop the tears in her eyes from spilling over. _She didn’t mean it. Don’t be a baby._ _Stop fucking crying, Max._ she thought to herself, swiping the tears away from her cheeks with her sleeve. Chloe turned when Max didn’t reply, and immediately regretted her words when she saw the woeful expression on Max’s face.  
“ _Goddammit.”_ She mumbled to herself, jogging back to where Max stood. “Don’t cry. I’m sorry, I’m an asshole, I know.” Chloe said, jogging back over to her. Max looked up from the ground with a watery smile.  
“I’m sorry.” she said looking up at her, gaze flickering between Chloe’s eyes.  
“ _I’m_ sorry I acted like a dick.” Chloe replied, smiling softly at Max. “Come on. Let’s play Pacman. I’m sure there are some quarters around here somewhere.”  
  
“ _Booyah!_ ” Chloe shouted triumphantly, pumping her fist in the air. Max smiled, watching Chloe as she leant against one of the broken arcade machines. She couldn’t help but laugh at her best friend’s antics. She had missed Chloe every day since she had left— she would liken that kind of loss to a headache. Constant, unrelenting, untreatable. Sometimes less painful, sometimes more, but never completely ignored.  
  
It was as if no time had passed as Chloe turned and beamed at her, and Max found that old familiar feeling bubbling up in her chest. The mixture of longing and excitement. The bitter thrill of loving someone who didn’t quite love you back— at least, not in the way that Max wanted. She smiled feebly back, hoping that it didn’t show on her face. Chloe didn’t notice.  
  
“I think we’re out of quarters.” Max said softly. Chloe shrugged.  
“That’s okay. Thank you, Max.”  
“Am I forgiven?” Max stood upright, her hand resting on the control panel.  
“Hmmmmmm…” Chloe looked upwards, hand resting on her chin as she spoke, “let’s see. I think I need a little more persuasion. Ice cream? Or maybe a dinosaur. That would be cool.” Max rolled her eyes, and Chloe gave her a gentle shove. “Of course you’re forgiven. C’mere.” Chloe said, arms outstretched in invitation. Max leant into her embrace cautiously, before sighing and clutching Chloe as tightly to her as possible. Her hands grabbed fistfuls of Chloe’s shirt,  
“Can’t… Breathe… Maxie…” Chloe wheezed. Max loosened her grip only slightly, but didn’t let go, mumbling something into Chloe’s neck.  
“What?” Chloe looked down at the small girl clinging to her as if they would never see each other again.  
“I said, I missed you. When I was gone.” Max replied, turning her head slightly so that her words were less muffled.  
“Oh.” Chloe was surprised for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “That was gay.”  
“Shut up. Let me enjoy this.”  
  
They walked hand in hand along the train tracks. Chloe was vaguely aware that the sun was rising in the east, the morning mist settling on her skin a welcome change from the heavy night air. David was probably flipping his shit right about now, not that she cared. _Nothing can ruin this._  
“Hey Chloe?” Max said tentatively. It was the first words either of them had spoken since they had left the arcade.  
“What’s on your mind, Maxaroni?” Chloe asked, dropping Max’s hand and turning to face her. Max fidgeted, holding her elbow, arm drawn across her chest.  
“There’s something I um… wanted to tell you.”  
“I’m listening.”  
“The fireflies— they want me to… they want me to leave the Bay. They’re stationing me somewhere else, I—“  
“Are you fucking serious?” Chloe interrupted, equal parts heartbroken and furious.  
“Chloe, I’m—“  
“Don’t even _start_ with that _bullshit_ , Max. You’re not fucking sorry. Don’t say it.”  
“But—I—“ Max stammered, scrambling for the right words.  
“This whole thing,” Chloe smiled joylessly, shaking her head with incredulity, “this whole _fucking thing_ — you’re telling me it was a goodbye?” She laughed a little. “I should’ve fucking known. I just got you back, Max.”  
“Chloe, you _know_ how long I’ve wanted this. It’s not always about you.” Max retaliated.  
“No, it never is. Everyone fucking leaves, Max. I don’t know what I expected. Everyone always lets me down.” She spat, her hands balling into shaking fists at her sides. “I wish you never even came in the first place!” Chloe yelled, eyes shining with tears out of sheer frustration. Max’s heart dropped to her stomach as her words sunk in. Chloe began to cry quietly, her whole body weighed down with defeat. Max, despite Chloe’s sharp tongue, pulled her close and tried her best to hold back her own tears as she clutched her friend tightly. Chloe sunk into her arms, tears freely flowing, and Max was left floundering, unsure of what to do to make it all better. Chloe never cried.  
  
“Stay.” Chloe whispered. Max didn’t respond. She was met with a stabbing, almost physical pain in her chest as she was tugged in two directions, heart aching for Chloe but longing for freedom. She could feel the pull of the two choices. It hurt.  
“Please, Max.” Chloe pleaded, her voice barely loud enough for Max to hear.  
“Chloe…” Max trailed off, unsure of what to say. With a shuddering breath, Max let go and reached for the silver dog tag around her neck, and with one swift tug, she broke the chain. Chloe looked up, a flicker of confusion behind her eyes as Max cast the pendant aside as if it meant nothing to her. A million thoughts ran through her mind in that second. She knew what the fireflies meant to Max. She knew what that gesture meant. A million thoughts running through her mind, yet the most urgent, interminable one: _kiss her_. And so she did.  
  
With one step, Chloe closed the gap between them before either of them had time to process what was happening. At first, Max was rigid, startled, confused, but when her brain caught up with the rest of her body, she melted into Chloe with ease. Her fingers found themselves tangled in Chloe’s silvery-blue hair, her heart racing. It was somewhat short— unexpected, but filled with everything Chloe had wanted to say, everything Max had wanted to do. She noticed that Chloe’s lips were salty from her tears, and warm and soft and everything she had imagined. When they drew apart, they stayed nose to nose, eye to eye.  
  
_click. click. click._  
  
And just like that, everything shifted.

“Chloe?” Max whimpered. Chloe pulled out her gun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again. on't worry, I didn't forget about this story. The next chapter will be up soon, I just have to proof everything and it should be good. Until next time! ;)


	3. Option Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter. There's not much left to say.

Chloe was panting, her muscles screaming for oxygen, her heart pounding against her ribcage. She looked at the bite on her arm with a blank stare. With every thud of her heart, the poison got a little further. The irony of it all was almost enough to make her laugh— her body, trying so hard to keep her alive when she was already as good as dead. Chloe didn’t mind. As long as Max was okay. As long as she didn’t get bitten.   
  
“I think it’s clear.” Chloe said with relief. She turned to face Max, and Chloe felt her heart stop. “Max. Your hand.”  
  
A clatter sounded as Max’s gun slipped from her grasp. Max was staring at her right hand with nothing but disbelief.  
  
“No. No, no, no, _no.”_ Max breathed, her hands trembling as she swiped at the bite cutting across the base of her thumb. The blood kept pooling as she swiped it away, and her tears splattered onto the soil, mixing with the dark red that at her feet. Max looked up, tears brimming, but hopeful that Chloe had made it out unscathed. Chloe just held out her arm.  
“Snap.” she said flatly.   
  
Chloe felt her heart twist as Max’s face flickered with understanding before she crumpled to her knees.   
“I’m so s-sorry, Chloe,” She said as she sobbed, “I n-never meant for this to happen.” Chloe knelt beside her, pulling Max into her chest.   
“I know Max. We almost made it, huh?” She smiled sadly, running her fingers through Max’s tangled hair in an attempt to calm her. Max wrapped her arms around Chloe’s neck, burying her face there as she cried. “We almost made it.” She continued to gently stroke Max’s hair as she let her own tears escape.   
  
The pair stayed like this, locked in a tight embrace for what seemed like hours, Chloe was the first to break the heavy silence.   
“The way I see it,” Chloe said, sitting on her knees as she cradled Max, “we have two options.” Max sniffed, looking up at her with red-rimmed eyes. “Option one.” She pulled her gun out from her belt and laid it on the floor. “We take the easy way out. It’s quick and painless. I’m not a fan of option one.” Max nodded in agreement, cringing away from the metal. “Two, we fight.” There was a beat as Max considered this.  
“Fight for what? We’re gonna turn into one of those things.”  
“There are a million ways we could’ve died today. And a million ways that we could die before tomorrow.” Chloe swallowed, taking a breath before continuing, “But we fight. We with for every second we get to spend with each other. Whether it’s two minutes, or two days… We don’t give that up.” Chloe’s lower lip began to tremble. Her voice was thick with choked back tears. “I don’t wanna give that up.” She looked down at Max, smiling softly, sadly. “My vote? Let’s just wait it out. You know, we can be all poetic and just… lose our minds together.” Chloe finished.  
“What’s option three?” Max asked weakly, her voice trembling.   
“Sorry.” Chloe replied solemnly.   
“Okay.” Max said, quickly wiping away the remainder of her tears, smudging blood onto her face in the process. She stood up, offering Chloe her good hand, and although Chloe didn’t need help getting up, she took it anyway. She didn’t let it go once she was upright.   
“C’mon,” Chloe said, gently stroking Max’s cheek, “let’s get outta here.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry xoxo


	4. Epilogue

“Max?” Chloe spoke, her voice high-pitched and quiet. Max was shaking in her arms, her fever causing a cold sweat to break on her brow. Her face was pale, her eyes bloodshot. Her arm— _oh god her arm—_ Chloe couldn't even look at it. They had been okay for a few hours, Chloe almost believed that they might just survive this, by some miracle. Of course she was wrong, Max’s condition was deteriorating _fast_ and Chloe was left wondering how long before it was her turn. Chloe watched as Max’s eyes struggled to focus, her pupils so large that her eyes appeared almost black. Max reached a trembling hand up to Chloe’s face, gently stroking her cheek. She smeared blood on Chloe skin with her movement, but Chloe didn’t mind. There was a flicker of recognition in Max’s eyes.  
“Chloe…” She blinked slowly, trying to hold on to her last moments of sanity with everything that she had.   
“I’m listening.” Chloe smiled down at her friend.   
“It’s almost… time. You have to… you have to shoot me.” Max wheezed, pleading with Chloe. “Please. I don’t wanna be one of those… _things,_ I don’t wanna… hurt you.” Her words were agonisingly slow, as if each breath she drew caused her physical pain. There was a moment of silence as Chloe processed her request before she shook her head desperately, tears pooling in her eyes.   
“No,” she sniffed, voice weak as she stared down at her only friend. “ _No!”_   
“Chloe—“  
“I can’t! I _won’t!_ This isn’t the only way, there’s still time— what if you’re gonna get better, what if I can save—“  
“Chloe. Listen to me. I’m going to… to die. There is no other option for me.” Max’s heart clenched as she realised this. Saying it aloud had solidified it somehow. She was going to die, no matter how much Chloe loved her. She was going to die, no matter how badly she wanted to live. She was going to die, and none of this mattered. Max stared up at Chloe with wide eyes, trying hard to shift the blur she could see into a person. For one excruciating moment, Chloe’s face came together in the haze, and Max’s heart broke in two at he hopelessness in Chloe’s eyes. Max did that to her. This was all her fault.   
“No…” Chloe whispered, defeated. She already knew how this was going to pan out.  
“You have to.” Max looked up at her, coughing. Blood dribbled onto her chin, and she put a cautious hand to her mouth. Her eyes widened in fear when her fingertips came back a brilliant red.  
“There’s no time. You have to do it now.” She said softly, closing her eyes and turning her head away from Chloe. Chloe stood up, leaning Max against the wall of the arcade.   
“I’m sorry.” Chloe whimpered, voice cracking.   
“I don’t wanna die.” Max squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to slow her shallow breaths.   
“I know.”  
“I… can’t wait… to see you again. Once this is all over.” Max clutched the polaroid she had taken from Chloe’s room in her good hand. She held it to her chest, like it would make everything better.   
“I’ll see you soon, Maxaroni.” Chloe choked, crying openly. Her hands trembled as she held up the gun, the metal rattling with the tremors.   
“Chloe Price.” Max said, looking up with determination. She was fighting against the pull of the infection hard, Chloe could see it in the way her body spasmed and twitched. “Don’t you forget about me.”  
“Never.” Chloe affirmed. “I’ll always love you, Max.” Max smiled at this, despite the pain and the fear and the overwhelming shadow of her death looming over her.   
“I love you too. Don’t miss, okay?” She said quietly, closing her eyes. A serenity overcame Max in that moment unlike anything Chloe had ever witnessed.   
“I’ll be with you soon.” She muttered, closing her eyes as her finger twitched over the trigger. “I’m sorry.” she said. And just like that, Max Caulfield was gone.  
  
Chloe let the gun drop to the floor with a clatter. She brought her shaking hands up to her face as she sunk to her knees, letting out a sound so painfully raw that it sounded almost inhuman. And she began to cry. Less than five feet away, lifeless on the floor, lay the body of her best friend. She had killed her. She had killed her best friend. Her sobs wracked her whole body, the mournful sounds echoing off the walls, enveloping her in her own grief. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Max’s face, at the gaping hole in her forehead, at her slack-jawed, glassy-eyed pose like some sick porcelain doll. If she didn’t look, she could pretend Max was asleep.   
  
She reached into her pocket and thumbed the cool metal of Max’s firefly pendant, and then she reached for the gun.   
“I’m coming, Max.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that. Something to make you more sad: Chloe replaces Ellie in this AU, so she is, in fact, immune. Which she doesn’t know when she kills herself. RIP your emotions, I cried when I wrote this.

**Author's Note:**

> tuturu~♪
> 
> i see you made it to the end. Do not fear, there will be more soon. I've done a TLOU crossover with every fandom tbh because I love the universe. A tlou crossover was actually the first fic I ever wrote over on fanficiton.net back in 2013. ah, those were the days. I'm bringing rellie back.  
> Thanks for reading!  
> until next time ;)  
> -Vulpixels
> 
> P.S: about Jump- it's not gonna happen. that's the end, that's how I wanted it to end, I don't want to write more about it. I'm sorry!
> 
> (yes. I have been watching steins;gate again. you can't stop me.)


End file.
